Page 6 of Rescuing His Kitten
“You’re perfect.”
I’m certain he’s still talking about the dress, so I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “It has pockets.”
Why is everything coming out of my mouth like I can’t contain the words? To make matters worse, I pull the pocket inside out, showing him like a dork. He reaches out, his fingers brushing the material at my hip.
“See? Fully functional. I could keep my dignity in here if I had any left.”
He chuckles, and the sound makes something flutter in my chest. “Maybe I should walk you back. I can make sure you don’t climb any more trees.”
“I think I can manage. You’re already done so much.”
“Humor me,” he offers again, and I can’t think of a reason to say no.
“Okay,” I agree, suddenly feeling shy.
We start walking through the woods, and as we do, every now and then his hand brushes mine. I try not to focus on it and look at the trees instead. The late afternoon light filters gold through the leaves, making the area beautiful.
“You’re with the retreat, right? Nibbles.” West glances over at me, and I nod.
“That I am. You?” I’m hoping so. He’s been nice, and it would be great to have a new friend.
“Yeah,” he chuckles, like I missed a joke. “You’re from the Midwest branch?”
“Yes.” I accidentally bump my shoulder into his side and pretend to ignore it. “How’d you know?”
“A few opes have slipped out of you.”
I press my hand to my mouth to smother my laugh. “Fair enough. What branch do you work at?”
“I’m from the East Coast.”
“Cool.” I nod along.
“You sure it’s cool?” he asks, and I cringe. I must have given myself away. I’m not the best at hiding what I’m thinking. My face tells a story all on its own.
“Truthfully, it sounds busy and rainy.”
“It has been known to rain there a time or two.” His teasing is light and playful.
“Shut up,” I laugh, unable to stop smiling.
I find myself not wanting this conversation to end. I’d like to keep asking him questions, to stretch the walk into forever. But almost as soon as I have the thought, I see my cabin up ahead.
“Thank you again,” I tell him when we make it to my door.
“See you at the bonfire?” His brows lift, like he’s anxiously waiting for my answer.
“I’ll be there,” I confirm, and he smiles. It’s unfair how much I already like his smile.
“Good.” He reaches out and grabs my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine. He gives them a gentle squeeze before releasing it. “Wait for me if you feel like climbing any more trees.”
“I guess I can do that.” I give him one last smile before I slip into my cabin.
I’m on cloud nine because he was so flirting with me. Right? I suck at dating, but even if he wasn’t flirting, I’ve made a friend.
Sheryl stands in front of the mirror applying lipstick with the focus of a surgeon. She’s in a dress so tight it looks painted on. How does she breathe in that? I take a few healthy breaths at the thought.
“Look what the cat dragged in.”
